Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is, verstaan ons die vloerplan.

Yes, noudat is normally written as one word in modern Afrikaans.

It means now that and introduces a reason or new situation that has just become true:

• Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is ... = Now that the drawing scale is clear ...

It is a subordinating conjunction, so it affects word order in the clause that follows.

Because noudat introduces a subordinate clause.

In Afrikaans, when a clause begins with a subordinating conjunction such as dat, omdat, nadat, noudat, as, toe, the finite verb usually goes to the end of that clause.

So:

• Main-clause style: Die tekeningskaal is duidelik.
• Subordinate-clause style: ... dat die tekeningskaal duidelik is

That is why you get:

• Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is ...

This is because Afrikaans follows the verb-second pattern in main clauses.

When the sentence starts with something other than the subject — here, the whole subordinate clause Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is — that first element takes the first position. The verb then comes second, and the subject follows it.

So:

• Normal order: Ons verstaan die vloerplan.
• After a fronted clause: Noudat ... , verstaan ons die vloerplan.

This is often called inversion.

Here duidelik is an adjective used predicatively — that means it comes after a linking verb like is rather than directly before a noun.

Compare:

• die duidelike tekeningskaal = the clear drawing scale
  
  • adjective before the noun, with -e
• die tekeningskaal is duidelik = the drawing scale is clear
  
  • adjective after is, usually with no -e

So in your sentence, duidelik means clear and stays in its basic form.

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for all genders and for both singular and plural in ordinary use.

So unlike languages that have different forms for masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural, Afrikaans keeps it simple:

• die tekeningskaal = the drawing scale
• die vloerplan = the floor plan

There is no gender-based change in the article here.

Tekeningskaal is a compound noun, and Afrikaans usually writes compound nouns as one word.

It is made up of:

• tekening = drawing
• skaal = scale

Together, tekeningskaal means drawing scale or scale of the drawing.

The -s- in the middle is a linking sound/letter that often appears in compounds. English often writes similar ideas as two words, but Afrikaans strongly prefers one-word compounds.

Vloerplan is another compound noun:

• vloer = floor
• plan = plan

Together: vloerplan = floor plan

Again, Afrikaans usually joins such nouns into one written word. This is very common and something English speakers often need to get used to, because English may write similar expressions as two words.

Yes. You could also say:

• Ons verstaan die vloerplan noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is.

That is also natural.

The difference is mainly one of focus:

• Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is, verstaan ons die vloerplan.
  • puts emphasis first on the new condition
• Ons verstaan die vloerplan noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is.
  • starts with the main statement

If the noudat clause comes first, you get verstaan ons because of inversion. If the main clause comes first, you keep the normal order ons verstaan.

The comma separates the introductory subordinate clause from the main clause:

• Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is, verstaan ons die vloerplan.

This helps show the structure clearly:

1. subordinate clause: Noudat die tekeningskaal duidelik is
2. main clause: verstaan ons die vloerplan

In Afrikaans, it is normal to use a comma here when the subordinate clause comes first.

Yes. Ons can mean both we and us, depending on its role in the sentence.

In your sentence:

• verstaan ons die vloerplan
• ons is the subject
• so it means we

Examples:

• Ons verstaan dit. = We understand it.
• Hulle help ons. = They help us.

Afrikaans does not change the form the way English does.

Yes — three things stand out:

1. Subordinate-clause word order

   • Noudat ... duidelik is
   • the verb goes to the end

2. Inversion in the main clause

   • verstaan ons
   • because the sentence begins with another element

3. Compound nouns

   • tekeningskaal
   • vloerplan
   • Afrikaans often writes these as one word

Those three patterns appear very often in Afrikaans, so this sentence is a good example of several core grammar points at once.